Missing 8-year-old Brockton girl found safe after 16 hours

BROCKTON, Mass. — Police in Brockton have located an 8-year-old girl missing since Monday night after leaving her home on Ames Street, officials said Tuesday afternoon.

Eight-year-old Grace Adorno was located at about noon Tuesday, sixteen hours after the child’s mother reported her missing.

Grace Adorno was found at a friend’s home on Porter Street, about half a mile away from her Ames Street home in Brockton.

Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes said the ordeal began Monday night at about 8 p.m. Gomes said the girl’s mother told police there had been a “dispute” at the home and she noticed Grace was missing about a half-hour later. Gomes said information from the family and an initial investigation suggests Grace “was upset and wandered off on her own.”

Brockton Police, Massachusetts State Police, and the FBI all spent hours searching for Grace.

Community members who heard about the missing child, also hit the streets trying to find Grace.

It turns out, Grace, walked directly from her home to the home of family friend Devonna Buffalo.

Grace spent the night in a crawlspace on Devonna’s back deck without telling Devonna, or anyone else, where she was.

Finally, at about 9 a.m. Tuesday, Grace knocked on Devonna’s door.

Devonna gave the child breakfast, allowed her to take a shower, and then called police.

“It wasn’t a hard call to make,” Devonna told me. “I know people have been searching high and low for her. I was concerned mostly with how she was going to react. At this point in time, she doesn’t want to be home.”

Grace Adorno was sent by ambulance to a local hospital. She is expected to be OK.

Officials are thanking all agencies who helped find Grace.

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